La Stoppa, Piacenza – Emilia Romagna

La Stoppa is a long-established estate, founded over a century ago. Situated in the Emilia-Romagna region of Northern Italy, its vineyards stretch along the Trebbiola valley, not far from the Trebbia River in the province of Piacenza. The estate extends over 58 hectares, 28 of which consist of oak, chestnut and acacia forests, and 30ha that are planted exclusively with vines. Over a century ago, the then owner, Giancarlo Ageno, planted French grape varieties, producing wines with curious, Italianized names, like “Bordò” (Bordeaux), “Bordò bianco” (White Bordeaux) and “Pinò” (Pinot Noir). In 1973, the estate was acquired by the Pantaleoni family, who rationalised the vineyards and renovated the cellars. The company is currently headed by Elena Pantaleoni. With the assistance of Giulio Armani, she focused on investing in the vineyards, which are cultivated using organic methods and are certified by the organic standards regulator “Ente Suolo e Salute”. The naturally low yields, which result from the average age of the vines and the lacking soil, together with the intrinsically high quality of the grapes, make it possible to create wonderfully characteristic wines. They reflect their origin in the vineyards, rather than in excessive re-working in the cellar. Nowadays, La Stoppa specialises in the production of wines deriving from the local varieties: Malvasia di Candia Aromatica, Barbera and Bonarda, in addition to the historically introduced varieties, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Semillon.

Ageno I.G.T. Emilia, (malvasia di candia, ortugo, trebbiano)

Trebbiolo, I.G.T. Emilia Rosso (barbera, bonarda)

Macchiona, I.G.T. Emilia (barbera, bonarda)

Barbera della Stoppa, I.G.T. Emilia (barbera)

Malvasia Frizzante I.G.T. Emilia (malvasia di candia aromatica)

The estate’s philosophy is that human activities should be conducted with an understanding of the nature of the land and by reflecting the natural manifestations and expressions of the local environment. Through this approach, La Stoppa produces genuine and characteristic wines that are closely linked to their land of origin.